Roman Faeland
Roman Faeland consisted of an area of provincial rule within the Roman Empire, in modern day Faeland, although effective control and influence was limited to the northwest coast. Roman control of the area lasted for approximately 400 years. The Roman Empire began its takeover of what was Celtic Faeland in the late 40s C.E., when it settled and colonized the norther reaches of the area. Julius Caesar had sent minor scouting missions to the island, but his ill-destined foray into Britain prevented any further overseas campaigns. Claudius, returning successfully from his British conquest, saw fit to demobilize some of his legions on the island, and declared the province of "Gallia Maritima" (Maritime Gaul). Romanization was quick and deep in the lands surrounding these cities; Latin was spoken by a majority of the Fáels in the region by the mid-second century C.E., with few remains of the local language. Following the Frankish defeat of the Romans at the Battle of Soissons in 486, Gaul came under the rule of the Merovingians, and Faeland was officially declared a part of the Frankish territories. =Caesar's Expedition= The first direct Roman contact with the island came in 54 B.C.E. A small detachment of troops landed (and gave the peninsula its name) at Falx and established a camp. From here, scouts were sent to determine the feasibility of conquest, but also to determine if the locals were or were not assisting their kinfolk across the Bay of Biscay. After minor skirmishes and little success, the expedition returned to Gaul following the winter of 54, having left no permanent settlement. =The Claudian "Invasion"= Despite continued interaction with newly Roman Gaul (modern France), it would be another 100 years before the Romans attempted to create a presence again. Following his victories in Britain, the emperor Claudius traveled to Faeland on the advice of Caractacus, his prisoner. Caractacus had suggested that the emperor might find the Faelish coast a suitable site to retire some of his legions. Historians debate whether this was suggested as a means by which Caractacus could keep some Romans, at least, from being settled on the isle of Britain. In early 52, Claudius landed and established 5 colonies using troops from his campaigns, namely men from the II, IX, XIV, and XX legions. *colonia Julia Fucinorum *colonia Julia Regirorum *colonia Julia Claudia *Forum Julium *Caudimentum All of the colonies followed the same layout and construction, except for Falx (Julia Claudia), which was slightly irregular due to existing settlements taken over by natives after the Caesarean expedition. =Roman Rule in Faeland= Although founded as coloniae, the towns had the effect of creating what the Romans had deemed civitates in continental Gaul. That is, the cities became the economic and political focal point for the local tribes, who otherwise would only converge at temporary meetings. With no urban settlements of their own, the native Fáels were quickly assimilated. The cities then, became effective government centers below the provincial level, and often acted as such. This left the imperial representative, the Prefect, with little or no administrative duties beyond tax collection and security. From Claudius' reign until that of Diocletian, the province was deemed "Senatorial" and therefore had no military garrison. Technically it should have been administered by a magistrate from the Senatorial class, but was often given over to bureacrats and the occasional Quaestor. With no state military presence until the time of Hadrian, the towns raised their own militia, commanded by decurions, but this was common in many provincial areas outside Faeland. When Hadrian arrived in 125 C.E., he saw fit to raise seven cohorts of troops from within the province for the express purpose of constructing Hadrian's Wall (not to be confused with the more famous wall constructed in England). Unlike its namesake in England, the Wall in Faeland had much wood available, and thus much of the construction (64%) was made with local timbers. The forts, milecastles, and turrets were all constructed from local limestone, with palisades, earthworks, and ditches running variously between them. The project was massive and, considering there were not enough troops to man the ramparts, troubling to scholars. It is likely this was a precautionary measure; though the possibility that Hadrian planned to station more troops is possible. It is highly unlikely that Hadrian sought to expand further into Faeland. =Faelo-Roman Culture= The term Faelo-Roman describes the Romanized civilization of the northeastern part of Faeland during the time of the Roman Empire. This was characterized by the Faelish adoption or adaptation of Roman mores and way of life in a manner more pronounced than their Gallic counterparts. The lopsided meld of cultures in Faeland gives historians a model against which to compare and contrast parallel developments in other, Roman provinces, particularly Gaul. Gaul was large and syncretized the cultures, while Faeland's Roman presence was small and concentrated, and therefore made a deeper impression on the culture of the northeast. =Roman Collapse=